


#18 - Time

by angelsandbrowncoats



Series: Eurovision 2017 Fanfic Challenge [26]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Hopeful Ending, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, i think, non graphic torture, right after ed goes to the court, set post 3x17
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-05-31
Packaged: 2018-11-07 03:46:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11050656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelsandbrowncoats/pseuds/angelsandbrowncoats
Summary: Ed handed himself over and now he's paying the price. He's long since lost all hope of rescue: after all, who would possibly want to save him?





	#18 - Time

**Author's Note:**

> For the title being 'Time', I really didn't adhere to accurate timelines in this one. Idgaf that canon-era Gotham is like the 80s or 90s or something. Fight me.

  
Ed probably should have expected this sort of thing. When he had gotten into the car with the people who claimed to be a part of this mysterious 'Court', all he was thinking about was getting answers. He had conveniently ignored the possibility that not only would the Court _want_ something out of him, they wouldn't accept his word that he'd do it. No, they wanted him _conditioned_.

  
As they tortured him, he let his mind detach from his body. The scene was playing out like something from _The Winter Soldier._ They were going to turn him into a glorified murder pet. Wonderful. And unlike the winter soldier, who had a seriously dedicated friend to rescue him, Ed had no one. Jim Gordon had been the one to hand him over. The little chat they'd had beforehand sounded like an apology, but that didn't mean he'd _save_ him. Oswald would have, if he was still alive. Well, maybe not anymore. Tabitha had betrayed him, so it probably wouldn't be long before she'd convinced Butch and Barbara to side with her. That just about finished the short list of people who might possibly even notice Ed was gone.

How long had he been gone, anyway? Hours? Days? Weeks? Probably not much more than a month at most. He still knew who he was, after all. Right?

Edward Nygma, formerly Nashton, alias Riddler. His favorite color was green. He'd run away from home at sixteen, gotten his masters before he turned twenty-four, and had secured a position in the forensics department of the Gotham police department. His work with them had come to an end after he'd moved on to the more rewarding hobby of murder. He'd joined forces with Oswald Cobblepot, the Penguin. Then he'd met the love of his life, Isabella, whom Oswald had callously murdered. Ed had proceeded to get his sweet revenge. Good. He was still Ed, the Riddler.

"It's really a shame, isn't it?"

He drew some of his attention back to the present. His body screamed from the pain that had been inflicted upon it, the worst stemming from what appeared to be a brand, but the man before him seemed more interested in talking than torture.

"Poor Isabella, so similar to dear Kristen, both gone before their times."

How did he know about that?

"The Court is no stranger to the art of creating and planting doppelgangers. We had actually planned a much longer period of seduction, but you didn't even question the appearance of a woman wearing a dead woman's face. For all they say you're smart, you sure do seem like a dumbass to me."

Ed felt his fists clench. He always hated name-calling. It was so uncalled for. Then the words sunk in.

_Doppelganger._

_Seduction._

Maybe 'dumbass' wasn't entirely uncalled for after all. How could he not have seen? And Oswald - Oswald hadn't known, surely, but perhaps his suspicions hadn't been purely founded in jealousy. His actions, yes, but his anger? His being upset? These seemed almost excusable in hindsight.

"I _knew_ something was off about her," another voice cut in. Was he having a pain induced hallucination? It wouldn't be unheard of. His other self had first begun appearing when he was in pain.

And suddenly the man in front of him was lying on the ground, blood pooling around his head. Had there been a gunshot? His sensory memory informed him that, yes, there had been.

"Well look at you, trussed up like a turkey," his dead friend said.

"I don't understand," he forced himself far enough into consciousness to talk, "Hallucinations can't kill."

"You think I'm a hallucination?"

"Of course you're a hallucination."

"Would you hallucinate this?"

And with that Oswald delivered a stinging slap across his face. Definitely hurt, but pain could be hallucinated too. It was all in the brain after all.

"Quite possibly."

Oswald rolled his eyes, "You're going to make me do this the idiot's way, aren't you? Okay, if I were a hallucination, then I originate in your mind. You do not know the contents of my mother's silver jewelry box, do you?"

"Jewelry, I would presume."

"But you've never seen inside?"

"No."

"Good. It holds three of her rings, a note she once wrote on a napkin for me when I was in second grade, and an origami penguin which I think you'll find very familiar. I'm taking you back to the manor so you can heal up before I kill you, and I'll let you check when we arrive. That should be proof enough even for you that I am real."

"I don't understand, though."

"It's simple. I am not dead. I want revenge. If these _people_ have you, then I cannot do so. What more is there to understand?"

Ed nodded. He supposed that made sense. He only wished things had not gone so far in the first place. He would not mimic Oswald's execution (or attempted execution) by revealing the feelings he had yet to come to true terms with. It would hurt Oswald worse than himself, especially since he would be dead soon, and unable to feel anything at all.

"The both of you really should learn to be less predictable," a woman's voice cut in. Oswald spun on his heel to find a line of eight armed Owls (or something) blocking the door.

"Put the gun down, Penguin," the woman who spoke stood in the center, on the right, "You see, it's _you_ we've _really_ been looking for. You have something about you, a certain... determination... that the Court admires. It also makes you a threat. You would not be content to _share_ with us. Which is why we had to cut you down."

"I cut him down," Ed interrupted. He may have at least partially regretted it, but he was never one to let other's get credit for his achievements.

"On the contrary, we took him down _through you_. Before you shot that poor man, he was halfway to telling you. We knew that Mayor Cobblepot cared more than would be typical for his Chief of Staff, so what better way to separate Gotham's rising power couple than to bring back a face from the latter's past? We didn't expect you to fall for it immediately, so thank you for moving our plans up. Once you were in her clutches, how long could it possibly take for the Penguin to lash out, more than likely resulting in the death of his... rival.

And when the genius eventually figured it out, _of course_ his ruthless side would emerge and do our dirty work better than we could have ever hoped to do it ourselves. Because you, Edward Nygma, had all the time, hate, and imagination in the world, and because the fact that it was _you_ would be salt in the wound.

But your death was never the intention. We were ever so glad to know you had survived your trip downstream, and that meant it was time to put the next part of our plan into action: acquiring the Riddler. Because if the Penguin was a spurned lover, then he'd want revenge, and he'd want it by his own hands. Could there have been a more perfect trap?"

Both Ed and Oswald were staring at her in horror now. They'd been set up. They'd been so _predictable_ that they'd been played every step of the way. Had any of their actions, any of their choices, truly been their own?

"I think we need to discuss this," Oswald said, and Ed realized he was looking at _him_ rather than the woman, "We'll need some time, so I hope you're free this afternoon."

" _Excuse_ me?" the woman asked.

"Oh, you see, I guess there was one thing you forgot to factor into your frankly _ridiculously_ elaborate scheme: I may have wanted to be the one to kill Ed, but that doesn't mean I didn't bring back up."

As if on cue, like some overly dramatic movie, twin blasts of fire and ice burst upon the Owls, and Oswald turns to finish releasing Ed.

"You might as well just kill me now," Ed offers, "If you're going to do it anyway."

"In light of some new information, I really think we ought to take a step back. Oh, you'll be coming with me of course, and be under guard at all times, but perhaps a second look at our actions would not be amiss. I don't like be played for a fool, Edward, and I doubt you do either. We may yet get a more satisfying revenge from taking down those who pulled our strings like worthless puppets than we will from furthering our feud."

"You really mean it?"

"Neither of us has had a moment to clear our heads since this all began. I think _that_ was intentional, and so I can think of nothing better to do than to take a break. If, after our break, we determine that we cannot, in fact, work together against the Court of Owls, then my initial plans shall continue their course. Do we have a deal?"

Ed swallowed, emotions in turmoil at this unexpected olive branch, "I don't think I have much of a choice, but I would have agreed all the same."

**Author's Note:**

> Also, all Marvel movies are actual movies in the DC universe and all DC movies are actual movies in the Marvel universe, it's a fact, okay?


End file.
